Id be surpried if theres not a trade between them and Moncton. Something along the lines of Roman Will (20-Euro) and a Dman(Emond,Roussy,McGurty,Wood) to Sherbrooke. Not sure as far as the return. Moncton has about 8 -9 Dmen capable of playing in the Q next season and they lack depth up front. Will is a proven top tier goaltender as well, Sherbrooke is able to carry 5 -20 year olds, Moncton will surely protect him in order to make a trade. Obviously a good goaltender is a nice asset with an expansion team..

1) I'd call Audette your 2nd line center. Yes, he's probably going to have the most skill of your forwards, but he will also be a smallish 16 year-old. If your coach knows what he's doing, he'll beef up another line to allow Audette to avoid checking lines his first year.

2) Turnbull is probably a 2nd liner for you as well. Him playing 3rd line for Bathurst last year shouldn't be an indictment. He is only 18, and had 15 points last year on a team known for running their top lines as often as they can. He isn't ideal, but you never how he'll perform when given the chance.

3) Your OA forwards had better be on your top 2 lines. This is your chance to get some cheap yet decent players. This also ties back to Audette. If you could have a Villemaire and a Cuzner (examples, not definite names), you'd have a top line good enough to take pressure off Audette and provide meaningful offense, yet also being able to be shuffled around if Audette adapts better than expected.

4) You have too few draft picks on your team. If you look at what you are getting, a 16 year old might make more sense to your team than the crap you'll be getting from some teams. The value is in extras and 20s (because they can only keep 3 20s and some teams have massive surpluses like Moncton with Ds).

5) In terms of Euros, your top Euro will be a top 6/top 4 guy out of necessity. If your staff does their homework, you should get a decent player. Your 2nd Euro should be slotted in as a 4th line/3rd pairing guy to start with, with the possibility that he surprises. Most Euros struggle to adapt, but opportunities will be available. A 2nd round Euro pick is a lot harder to get a top guy with.

Most of your depth will be drafted via expansion draft but after the top couple of guys, draft picks will make more sense to play than a lot of your depth.

In terms of output, I'd say that having more than 1 point per game player is unlikely in year 1, but the idea is to build up. Use the top line to insulate the young'uns, but when things get out of hand score-wise, start giving the kids as many shifts as you can (even if it is out of hand the wrong way).

The biggest things you need from this year are:
1) to end the year with your own 1st rounder - obvious but needs to be said. There is no player that is worth it to you.

2) A tangible plan going forward on where the offense, defense and goaltending are going. Audette is likely your offensive catalyst after year one, but you don't want to force him to lead you right away. You need to know where your offense will come from year over year. This doesn't mean that you need to always return point per game players, but you do need to return some guys who have shown that they can play an offensive game.

By the same token, you need to have defensemen who have shown that they can play some minutes if need be. Expect the big minutes to go to vets, but your kids have to be thrown into bad situations occasionally (like defending a 5 on 3 because your vets are in the box). Most of the D that will be available in the expansion draft will excel at one end of the ice and be mediocre at the other. This is great for starting out (and depth), but to build a good D, you will have to find somebody who can play both ends.

Your goalie is gonna get shelled. It is also the position where OA should mean Gervais-Chouinard (Rimouski), assuming he's available. I don't see any other overage goalies that are good and won't be protected. Also expect to pick up someone else in the expansion draft. There are a handful of teams that will have to leave a goalie unprotected. Sherbrooke should still draft a goalie because the second guy you get in the expansion draft will be a stopgap at best.

Yea the Dogs were really bad for a few years. The Fog-Devils started off quite a bit stronger. Shame the team team didn't stick.

Still, Sea Dogs sure turned it around after that miserable start didn't they?

That right there is much better than anything SJ or Shawinigan look like they'll be icing this year. Add a couple of Euros and maybe you can even push Turnbull down to 3rd line which would add some depth.

That right there is much better than anything SJ or Shawinigan look like they'll be icing this year. Add a couple of Euros and maybe you can even push Turnbull down to 3rd line which would add some depth.

You can add Maximilien Le Sieur from the Cataractes to your lineup since he'll be traded at the draft for picks. He's an excellent skater and is really good to kill penalties. He doesn't have great offensive skills but his speed help him getting points here and there.

Sorry should have typed 'heard'.
No link to back it up yet, i looked for one though. Does that make sense though for sherbrooke to want a younger goalie?

Of course. Hed obviously be their backup this season but hes has #1 potential when hes 18 or 19,imo. Theyll probably have a 19 or 20 year old goaltender this season and once his junior carrer is over , Flinn can jump in. Usually expansion teams have a veteran in their inaugural season..

That leaves Hannay, Cuzner, Sills, Terenzio, Shewfelt, Desmond unprotected.... Just wondering what Sherbrooke would want from that group... Sills maybe.

Willy Palov seems to think it will be Sills and Shewfelt. He tweeted it a few days ago but I can't find it now. I hope they take Hannay and Terenzio but thats mostly because I like Cuzner more than most people do

But I would have to think that nobody seriously expects Terenzio to even get a sniff in this draft. With each team only able to protect 1 goalie, you'd think there would be AT LEAST 17 guys who would be more appealing than a 19 year old American who is (correct me if I'm wrong) the smallest goalie in the league, has a questionable track record, missed almost an entire season with a concussion and mono and, combined with the fact that he was drafted at 17, means he's only had a year and about 2 months experience as a QMJHL Goalie, and a large chunk of that experience was spent as a backup to Mathieu Corbeil or Fredrick Piche.

Don't wanna sound like I'm ragging on the kid too much cause I do like Anthony and his style of play is entertaining to watch, (albeit slightly uncomfortable not knowing when he'll just randomly let in a softie while flopping around on the ice.) but If Sherbroke takes Terenzio than the organization has some major problems right off the bat haha.

But I would have to think that nobody seriously expects Terenzio to even get a sniff in this draft. With each team only able to protect 1 goalie, you'd think there would be AT LEAST 17 guys who would be more appealing than a 19 year old American who is (correct me if I'm wrong) the smallest goalie in the league, has a questionable track record, missed almost an entire season with a concussion and mono and, combined with the fact that he was drafted at 17, means he's only had a year and about 2 months experience as a QMJHL Goalie, and a large chunk of that experience was spent as a backup to Mathieu Corbeil or Fredrick Piche.

Don't wanna sound like I'm ragging on the kid too much cause I do like Anthony and his style of play is entertaining to watch, (albeit slightly uncomfortable not knowing when he'll just randomly let in a softie while flopping around on the ice.) but If Sherbroke takes Terenzio than the organization has some major problems right off the bat haha.